12 Oct 2015

After his unveiling on Friday, Liverpool fans are currently in thrall to new boss Jurgen Klopp, who is possibly the most well-received LFC appointment in the modern era. Tom Werner claims that Liverpool have been tracking Klopp for a while, but according to managerial legend Harry Redknapp, the German was not FSG's first choice for the role.

"Jurgen Klopp is Liverpool's first choice to replace Brendan Rodgers. Ex-Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti is also being considered".

After Klopp's unveiling, Werner enthused:

"We have thought about him [Klopp] for a long time and everyone who knows football knows he is an outstanding manager. Obviously he motivates players. We all expect the players are going to respond to him.”

Speaking to BT Sport over the weekend, Redknapp - who recently described the current Liverpool team as the 'worst' he's ever seen - claimed:

"Ancelotti was first choice for the Liverpool job. He [Klopp] is a good choice, but I don't know if he was first choice."

We'll probably never know the whole truth, but if 'amazing' Ancelotti was Liverpool's first choice, then it's easy to understand why.

The Italian is arguably one of the greatest managers of the modern era, and he sits comfortably alongside the likes of Alex Ferguson, Pep Guardiola, and Jose Mourinho.

Last week, Ancelotti confirmed that he won't return to football management until next season, which suggests that he ruled himself out of the running for the Liverpool job.

Given his recent surgery, that sounds plausible, but there's also another possibility: Ancelotti wanted the job, but Liverpool rejected the chance for him to succeed Brendan Rodgers.

If that's true, then I personally find it inconceivable that a club in Liverpool's position (i.e. on a downward spiral to mediocrity and irrelevance) could countenance the rejection Ancelotti, even with Klopp available.

Like Mourinho, the Italian guarantees trophies, and is able to attract the elite of European football. Unlike the Portuguese, though, Ancelotti is a class act, and perfectly embodies the spirit and humble philosophy of Liverpool FC.

Given the choice, I'd personally choose Ancelotti, but Klopp is also a superb choice, and I'm sure he'll build something special at Liverpool. There are no guarantees, though. Football is a results business, and just like every other manager before him, Klopp will be judged on results.